A/N: Wow, really WOW! thank you sooo much for your reviews :D... i am so happy that you are enjoying this story...
Thanks to my anonymous reviewers vanilla, 123456, MmeButterfly and Balack88.
Especially for vanilla: Thank you so much for your review, it really made me smile :)… your wish will be granted, there is someone who will make Erik extra jealous...*winks*... Don t worry, when Christine and Erik "really" come together, there would be too much sexual tension build :D... and please don t hesitate, speak your mind freely =D… *winks*…
I hope i did not forget to reply to the the rest of you guys and if i did please forgive me...
Important: As Rikku Ree mentioned (thank you for doing so!) there are some mistakes here and there, this happens because English is not my first language, so there would be mistakes... i hope that they won t make you stop reading though...
Also! A BIG thank you to Epic Insanity for being my very first reviewer, I am so sorry for not mentioning it earlier ;)...
And as always... XxxCherikxxX, thank you for your support :D!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN PotO nor the main plot of the story.
*coughs*I-am-talking-too-much*coughs* HERE IS CHAPTER 3...
Judging by the cover
Chapter 3: A surprise at work
It was eight o'clock in the morning when Christine reached the Destler Company's building. She wanted to arrive early, but last night's events had affected her rather much and she didn't hear the alarm-clock when it went off.
Normally, she had to begin working at nine o'clock, but for the past months no one worked only the hours they were paid for and especially if their position was 'in danger'.
"We are going to lose money...many of us are going to lose their job." These were her supervisor's words, and since she was the newer one at her department, her position was in danger for sure.
If she lost her job, things would be very difficult for her and her beloved grandmother...
While crossing the ground floor's hallway, she asked the lady at the reception the only question that burned her lips "Has he arrived?"
Emma, the receptionist, grinned at her. "He's here since yesterday. Now he's at his office and is talking privately with each one of the company's employees." She sighed deeply and her gaze became dreamy. "Aaah! You have to see him. He is Handsome... with a capital 'H'."
Christine smiled without paying attention. For her now; the word 'handsome' had a very specific face and she really doubted that her new boss would be anything close to that 'handsome'.
"But from what I've heard he is not free." Emma said without paying attention to Christine's nervousness "A girl who works for his grandfather told me that he, wants to make him marry one of his cousin's. She's very..."
"Sorry, Emma, but I really have to get going." Christine interrupted her and moved to take the lift. Office's gossip was what she despised the most and moreover, she didn't want her new boss to call her and not being at her position.
When she reached her floor, she saw that everyone was gone. She wondered what she had to do, till the door opened and her supervisor appeared with the rest of her co-workers.
"Oh Christine! You came!" he said.
The tone of his voice made her even more nervous, if that was possible.
"I was planning to arrive earlier, but..." she began, but Gilles Andre interrupted her.
"Don't lose your time explaining to me now! You'd better hurry and go at the management's office. Mr Destler's secretary is waiting for you. He saw our department a little time ago. He seemed rather annoyed by your absence..."
Before Christine had the time to mouth a word, he had already turned his back to her. She immediately rushed to the lift then.
Andre was never so abrupt, she thought and her stomach turned to a knot. It was obvious that Erik Destler made people around him nervous and anxious.
When she arrived in front of Mr Destler's secretary, she started explaining that she was working at Gilles' department, but the woman didn't pay attention to her. Instead, she turned to her paper-list.
"Christine Daae you said?" she asked coldly, without even lifting her head to look at the frightened girl "I see. You're late! Mr Destler does not want to... to be precise I highly doubt that..." she looked at Christine with mocking eyes "...he now has the time to see you." She warned and picked up her phone.
"Mademoiselle Daae has arrived, Erik." She stated in a very sweet tone, totally different from the one she used while talking to Christine. "Do you still require seeing her?" she listened carefully and then closed the phone. "You can proceed. It's the door at the end of the hallway."
When she reached her new boss' office knocked the door and stepped in uncomfortably. The sparkling sun from the window only blurred the figure of the man who stood in front of it with his back turned to her.
Erik, however, had clearly seen her figure mirroring at the window's glass. He wasn't curious why she was late... he actually was well aware of the reason...But he had to admit that he struggled to understand the respect and admiration her supervisor and colleagues showed to her. If he believed their words, he had to say that Christine was a woman devoted to her job, very polite and ready to help her fellow workers any moment they needed her.
"I have to admit that this is not something common" Gilles had admitted "perhaps she's like this because she grew up with her grandmother, since her parents' death. As you can read yourself at her reports her record is excellent, such as her qualifications"...
And apart from these, she's also a very beautiful young woman, who obviously knew very well how to use her charms. Gilles was so believable that if he hadn't met her in person the night before, he could say that she was an extremely good worker, who faced her job in utter seriousness.
Alas, the only thing he was thinking now was that Christine knew very well how to manipulate men. Even if in his case she was wrong...
But that day, her instinct had guided her correctly. As a result, the woman behind his back seemed very serious and professional with her blue suit and the light make-up.
As he was observing her with a frown, he suddenly felt his body grow wild, reminding to him the female body which was covered now by her blue dress suit.
Then Erik became too angry, he had already too many problems. Even last night when he left the bar, he received a phone call from his aunt...
"I'm afraid that now, my boy, your grandfather wants more than ever to marry you with Carlotta. Ah, child, it's a pity you don't have any woman in your life. If you had and gave him a grandchild, I'm sure he would let you live your life and don't push you anymore."
Erik in his despair had said without thinking "Who told you that there's no other woman?" He immediately understood what he had just stated had no logic, but his aunt had already lost her voice.
"You mean there is someone? Erik, that's great news! Who is she? When are we going to meet her? How did you fall in love? I'm sure your grandfather will be so happy. Antoinette! You won't believe..."
Erik remained silent listening to his aunt telling everything to his younger cousin. "Fiancée" he muttered. He could not understand how his aunt and cousin 'translated' his simple phrase in a total confession that he's going to get married. The only thing he knew was that he had a problem... and a big one...
And now he had only eight days to find a woman who could convince his grandfather, aunts, uncles, cousins and especially Carlotta that she truly loved him.
Erik couldn't take it anymore and turned abruptly to face Christine. The shock that she received was that big that she became pale-white and after that, red from head to toes.
"You!" she screamed while walking back towards the door; knowing she was losing her job.
"She's definitely a good actress." Erik thought. Her behaviour was totally different from the one she showed the night before. But she was surely terrified by the fact he was the guy in the bar. However, even in this case, he could swear that the sadness in her eyes and the slight tremble of her lips were real... but NO! NO! NO! She was simply an excellent actress.
Actress... And for the first time that day he saw light at the tunnel's end, which was going to help him with his problem.
"So, you are Mademoiselle Daae. I have already read Mr Gilles comments about you and I have to congratulate you. It seems you have convinced him about your...rare... abilities. Something utterly strange for a new employee like you. Especially if someone considers the rather... unusual ways you use... For example, the fact that you're leaving earlier in the afternoons...or that you're being late at the mornings..."
"I... leave...earlier?" she winced, trying to comprehend how on earth Destler knew that.
"I was at the company's entrance yesterday. And I saw you leaving a lot earlier." He stated like he was able to read her thoughts.
"But this happened..." she tried to explain but in vain. Erik shook his head.
"No excuses, please!" he said coldly "You may trick Gilles, but not me. I know what you enjoy doing in your free time. Unless..." he frowned "Unless that is exactly the reason why Gilles handed me such a flattering report."
"What are you talking about?" Christine protested. "I mean, last night was a mistake. I..."
"I wouldn't agree more with that." He interrupted her. "I understand that your salary is low but... don't you think you can find another way...a more moral one to..."
"How dare you?" she asked forgetting how anxious she was. Her pride didn't allow her to listen to these insults and not react.
"How do I dare? I think I should be the one questioning this." He verbally attacked her. "Women like you..." pause "Your supervisor mentioned how much you wanted to keep your job in the company."
"Yes, that is true." She admitted huskily. There was no point in lying to him.
"Listen!" she tried to control her voice "Permit me to explain to you about last night. Please... I know that I acted improperly. But the truth is that..." she lost her words and stopped.
"Very wise decision" Erik commented softly after a few moments of silence. "To stop, I mean. Because I have to admit, I despise more the women who lie than the women who..." he was the one who stopped now, but on purpose.
Christine got the meaning and tried to swallow her anger.
"I have an offer to make..." He finally said staring at her with a hawk's gaze that enjoyed torturing its prey.
A/N: so, how was it? just let me know :)...